Author Topic: A slightly older brother for BBM  (Read 5475 times)

Offline luigival

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A slightly older brother for BBM
« on: April 07, 2006, 04:01:15 pm »
Hi folks,
after getting the BBM virus, as I have pointed out in other posts, as a side desease I have become cinema-addicted as well, and very recently discovered another "gem of a film", which I subtly put on a close parallel with BBM.
It was released in 2004, and its English title is "The motorcycle diaries" (or "Diarios de motocicleta", as the original version spells), a FilmFour production directed by Walter Salles and starring Gael Garcia Bernal and Rodrigo de la Serna.
As many of you probably know, it's the story of the trip which saw young Ernesto (not yet "Che") Guevara and close friend Alberto Granado travel across South America on their Norton 500 (La Poderosa).
Yes, the story is quite different from BBM, so why should I put it closely on a parallel with BBM?

1. It's the story of a friendship destined to last all life: two souls sharing the same ideals, and fighting for them;

2. It's a trip of discovery: Ernesto and Alberto discover their Continent, and mature, just like Ennis and Jack discover their true feelings and a new world inside of them;

3. Photography and scenarios are very similar to BBM: the grandeur of the Andes and the magnificence of the Southern American landscapes compare to the great wilderness of Wyoming/Canada where BBM was filmed. There are scenes which actually could be interchanged between the two movies;

4. A great music score (for me music is the soul of any movie) written and performed by Gustavo Santaolalla, where you can already feel the BBM spirit which was going to blossom a few months later (though in "Diarios" it has obviously a more pronounced South American flavour);

5. It was made as an independent movie just like BBM;

6. All in all it's a very good and moving movie which will stay in your heart as well (though the BBM factor is unique and definitely unrepeatable).

Anybody has had my same feelings?

Luigi   
They were two friends of mine

Offline littledarlin

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Re: A slightly older brother for BBM
« Reply #1 on: April 07, 2006, 05:12:28 pm »
yes i can very much see these similarities.  motorcycle diaries is a great film and i love gustavo's score.

slightly ot, but i can't wait to see guerilla.

even more ot, i have a huge crush on gael garcia bernal.
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Offline henrypie

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Re: A slightly older brother for BBM
« Reply #2 on: April 07, 2006, 05:29:18 pm »
I loved Motorcycle Diaries (bought the DVD for my husband's Christmas list) -- absolutely stunningly beautiful.  It is only in its beautiful cinematography, and fine acting, that I can compare it to BBM, though.  Dramatically, it has an entirely different feel to me.

p.s. Jake! Oh Jake!  Gael... I mean Jake!

Offline monimm18

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Re: A slightly older brother for BBM
« Reply #3 on: April 07, 2006, 10:17:25 pm »
I loved Motorcycle Diaries (bought the DVD for my husband's Christmas list) -- absolutely stunningly beautiful.  It is only in its beautiful cinematography, and fine acting, that I can compare it to BBM, though.  Dramatically, it has an entirely different feel to me.

p.s. Jake! Oh Jake!  Gael... I mean Jake!

Ditto.

Also, as far as I think, whatever Gael Garcia Bernal plays ends up being a great role.
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Offline opinionista

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Re: A slightly older brother for BBM
« Reply #4 on: April 08, 2006, 01:20:13 pm »
What you say is interesting but I see no relation between both movies. They're both wonderful but can't see how they relate. The only movie I have found quite similiar to BBM is the german film Summer Storm. Althought both tell two different stories, they're about dealing with one's sexuality and the true meaning of friendship. It's a beautiful movie, well acted and not quite sad as BBM. I strongly recommend it.
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Offline luigival

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Re: A slightly older brother for BBM
« Reply #5 on: April 09, 2006, 08:02:37 am »
Thanks everybody for the thoughts on the subject.
I do agree with you when you're stating the two stories are very much different, and I clearly pointed out that in my original posts, but it's the mixed feelings that this combination of a great friendship bond, music and scenarios that makes me feel a strong relationship between the two movies. But maybe it's only my very personal point of view that makes me create these parallelisms.
Will try to look for Summer Storm: thanks for your suggestions.
Luigi
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Offline luigival

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Re: Another brother for BBM
« Reply #6 on: April 10, 2006, 01:54:46 pm »
Yesterday I came across an Israeli movie of 2001, "Yossi and Jagger". The synopsis reads like this:

Based on a true story, Yossi & Jagger portrays the love affair of two Israeli officers in an IDF position on the Israeli-Lebanese border. They are commanders, they are in love, and they try to find a place of their own in an oppressing and rigid system, which sends them to defend a cause they do not necessarily believe in.
Yossi, the company commander, is an introvert guy and largely a man-of-the-system. Jagger, the platoon commander, is an open and much more liberated guy. He is the star of the company. Yossi is determined to keep their love in secret. Whereas, Jagger, who is about to finish the service, believes that Yossi should leave the army with him. Shortly before departing for a dangerous ambush, the tension between the lovers gets high almost explosive.
Yossi & Jagger portrays in a courageous, genuine, amusing and sometines painful fashion the complicated and sensative topic of "gays in the military". It also portrays the tragic structure of life of young Israelis today. The film presents an enchanting ensemble of young men and women that were supposed, in this time of their lives, to dance, study and love. Instead, due to the mandatory army service and the complicated situation in the region, they have to devote their most beautiful years to their country, to be soldiers, to kill and get killed.
In Yossi & Jagger you can find a chef who finds comfort in cooking a gourmet cuisine, a soldier who believes in reincarnation, and two young women who try to survive in a men's world. By showing the apparently small details of the commanders' and soldiers' lives, the film creators emphasize the distorted situation in which these men and women are forced to live and die.


A small production movie, but really another good film, capable to touch with arguments that had never been told so clearly before. Yossi is the Ennis counterpart in this case, while Jagger fits quite well the role of Jack. And also in this case the story ends very sadly: it's life, or better, war in this case that comes along taking the decision that Yossi was unable to take.
Anyone seen it?
Luigi
They were two friends of mine

moremojo

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Re: Another brother for BBM
« Reply #7 on: April 10, 2006, 02:05:47 pm »
Anyone seen it?
Luigi
Yes, I've seen "Yossi & Jagger". I'm sorry to say that I didn't care much for it, finding the characters and their story underdeveloped. The film certainly had some curiosity value for me, being an Israeli film and depicting the lives of gay soldiers. That was interesting to read that it was based on a true story--didn't know that.

Scott

Offline luigival

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Re: Another brother for BBM
« Reply #8 on: April 10, 2006, 03:36:37 pm »
 Yes, I've seen "Yossi & Jagger". I'm sorry to say that I didn't care much for it, finding the characters and their story underdeveloped.
[/quote]

Right Scott, the story was a bit underdeveloped as the movie as a whole only lasts 70 minutes: one of the shortest full feature films I can remember of.
Nevertheless there are scenes like the final one when Yaeli, the girl who desperately loved Jagger (hoping to be loved by him in return), and Yossi, who was actually Jagger's lover, are visiting Jagger's parents after his death. Scenes like these do make the public think about life and the perception of truth.
What is true and what is false in life? Most often truth is what we want to believe (like in Yaeli's case), even though reality is a completely different thing.
Luigi
« Last Edit: April 10, 2006, 03:38:43 pm by luigival »
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moremojo

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Re: Another brother for BBM
« Reply #9 on: April 10, 2006, 05:57:11 pm »
What is true and what is false in life? Most often truth is what we want to believe (like in Yaeli's case), even though reality is a completely different thing.
Luigi
Hi, Luigi--

Yes, the ending certainly had a poignant flavor, and offers some interesting parallels with "Brokeback Mountain", in that both stories deal with characters living much of their lives hiding integral components of their personalities from larger view. There is another mirroring between Yossi and Ennis in that both men harbor these all-important relationships as secret even unto the end. I think an implicit critique of the 'machismo' mentality can be gleaned from the treatment of both characters, and that is certainly another area where "Yossi & Jagger" accrues value.

Regards,
Scott